Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 15, 2026
08:43
Pneumatically Driven Microfluidic Platform for Micro-Particle Concentration
Published on: February 1, 2022
2.9K
Integration of Pneumatic Technology in Powered Mobility Devices
Brandon Daveler1,2, Hongwu Wang1,2, Benjamin Gebrosky1
1Human Engineering Research Laboratories, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation
|January 18, 2018
Summary
Pneumatic technology offers a lighter, more affordable, and safer alternative to batteries for powered mobility devices (PMDs). Prototypes demonstrated feasibility and achieved a 3,150 m range, validating pneumatic systems for PMDs.
Area of Science:
- Engineering
- Mobility Technology
- Sustainable Energy
Background:
- Electric powered mobility devices (PMDs) have advanced significantly, but battery technology has lagged.
- Existing battery systems present limitations in weight, cost, environmental impact, and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of pneumatic technology as a viable alternative to batteries for PMDs.
- To develop and test prototypes of pneumatic-powered mobility devices.
Main Methods:
- Designed and constructed two prototypes incorporating rotary piston air motors, high-pressure air tanks, and regulators.
- Conducted range tests on Prototype 1 (modified electric PMD) to assess feasibility and component optimization.
- Optimized components based on Prototype 1 results to develop Prototype 2 for enhanced performance.
Main Results:
- Prototype 1 confirmed the feasibility of pneumatic technology in PMDs, achieving an 800 m range with a 1.44 L air tank.
- Prototype 2 achieved an average maximum range of 3,150 m.
- Prototype 2 is up to 28.3% lighter, recharges in ~2 minutes, and reduces cost by ~$1,500 due to eliminating battery replacements.
Conclusions:
- Pneumatic technology, utilizing rotary piston air motors, presents a compelling alternative for PMDs.
- The developed pneumatic PMDs offer significant advantages in weight, cost, recharge time, and safety over electric counterparts.
- Results justify further development and adoption of pneumatic systems in the powered mobility sector.
More Related Videos
07:49Rod-based Fabrication of Customizable Soft Robotic Pneumatic Gripper Devices for Delicate Tissue Manipulation
Published on: August 2, 2016
9.3K
05:58Author Spotlight: Advancing Coral Culture - Creating a Semi-Quantitatively Controlled Microenvironment System to Counter Current Limitations
Published on: July 21, 2023
2.6K
Related Concept Videos
01:29Integrals of Powers of Sine and Cosine
85
Trigonometric integrals involve the integration of expressions containing powers of sine, cosine, and related functions. They are common in calculus problems and have applications in physics and engineering. The method for integrating expressions of the form sinm(x)cosn(x) depends on whether the exponents are odd or even.If the power of sine is odd, one sine factor is separated from the integrand, leaving an even power of sine. The remaining sine terms are rewritten in terms of cosine using the...
85
01:18Integrals of Powers of Secant and Tangent
76
Integrals involving powers of tangent and secant are commonly evaluated using substitution, with the strategy determined by the parity of the exponents. The method relies on pairing part of the integrand with the derivative of a suitable trigonometric function and rewriting the remaining factors using trigonometric identities.When the power of secant is even, tangent is chosen as the substitution variable. Since the derivative of tangent is secant squared, a factor of sec2x can be...
76
01:08Power
13.1K
The concept of work involves force and displacement; meanwhile, the work-energy theorem relates the net work done on a body to the difference in its kinetic energy, calculated between two points on its trajectory. While none of these quantities or relations involves time explicitly, we know that the time available to accomplish work is often just as important as the amount of work itself. For example, sprinters in a race may have achieved the same velocity at the finish, therefore,...
13.1K
01:22Sums of Power
81
In definite integration, Riemann sums approximate the area under a curve by dividing it into subintervals and summing the areas of rectangles. When these approximations follow predictable numerical patterns, such as arithmetic or polynomial sequences, sum formulas offer a more efficient and accurate way to compute the result. In particular, the sum of consecutive integers, squares, and cubes plays an essential role in simplifying these calculations, especially when dealing with uniform...
81
01:22Instantaneous Power
945
Instantaneous power is important in electrical circuits, mainly when dealing with sinusoidal input. Instantaneous power, denoted as p(t), results from the multiplication of the instantaneous voltage (v(t)) across an element and the instantaneous current (i(t)) flowing through it. This relationship adheres to the passive sign convention and represents a fundamental principle in electrical engineering.
945
01:14Complex Power
938
Power engineers have introduced the concept of complex power to determine the cumulative effect of parallel loads. This idea plays a crucial role in power analysis because it encompasses all the details related to the power consumed by a specific load.
Complex power is defined as the multiplication of the voltage and the complex conjugate of the current. The magnitude of this power, known as apparent power, is measured in volt-amperes (VA). Notably, the angle of the complex power equates to the...
Complex power is defined as the multiplication of the voltage and the complex conjugate of the current. The magnitude of this power, known as apparent power, is measured in volt-amperes (VA). Notably, the angle of the complex power equates to the...
938